


The Hangman

by Scila



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: ADWD spoilers, AFFC spoilers, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-22
Updated: 2012-07-10
Packaged: 2017-11-04 02:32:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/388716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scila/pseuds/Scila
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Follows Jaime and Brienne's journey immediately after AFFC and ADWD.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

They rode in silence, one that did not escape Jaime. It felt deliberate and calculated, something he did not think possible coming from her. The winter wind was raw against his cheek, and not for the first time he questioned his choice of following Brienne. Abandoning his army to follow a miserable wench into the night? He could still see the confused faces of his soldiers and their questions on the tip of their tongues. And yet, reason and logic escaped Jaime after he saw her, pale skin and face set. 

Now, in the dark, with the moon between them, it seemed absurd. Specially with her cold distance.

“Have I offended you, my lady?” he asked suddenly, guiding his horse to be near hers. He had opened a smile, although his voice betrayed his real intent.

She turned her head slightly in his direction, surprised.

“You did not, ser.” was her short answer, her voice strangely raspy. 

“Are you certain? The way you seem to avoid me like the plague says otherwise.”

She slowly shook her head, before going back to watch the road.

“That wasn’t my intention.”

“Then join me in a conversation, if it pleases you.”

“Of what do you wish to talk about, ser?”

It didn’t escape him the pauses, the low tone of voice. Her hesitation to speak.

“Your journey. You have yet to explain how did you found the Hound and stopped the dog from raping and pillaging in the Saltpans.” 

“That wasn’t him.”

He had thought as much, but her short answer did not please him. 

“Every other man I talk seems to think otherwise.”

She cleared her throat before answering, again slowly and carefully choosing her words.

“He was wounded and lost his helmet. Someone else claims the title now.”

“I see. And how did he found the Stark girl?”

While he waited her answer, Jaime tried to read her. The wench kept her eyes on the front, but every now and then, he noticed that her focus shifted to their sides, as if she expected someone jumping at them in any second. Normally, he could consider the caution wise, as the Riverlands were far from peaceful and her travels probably made her learn to be careful. But her reluctance to speak and his gut feeling told him that it was something else.

“They escaped together, it seems.”

“She went willing, then?” 

It was clearly she was uncomfortable with the subject.

“She had no other choice.”

“And what the Hound wishes of me?” 

“The pardon of the King and coin.”

Seemed straightforward enough and yet, too easy. A wounded Hound, at Jaime’s mercy, waiting for him just so he could trade Sansa Stark for his old life? Too convenient. He had not forgotten Brienne non-answer of how she had found the man. And all the time, she had faced him just once and then, no more, her short hair hiding her bright blue and usually honest eyes.  Even if it didn’t seem likely, as she had nothing gain in doing so, he felt strangely betrayed at the possibility of her leading him to a trap. 

“Did it serve you well?” he asked, indicating the sword at her hilt.

She looked at him to understand his question. He wanted her to remember the sword and who gave it to her, it felt important somehow. 

“It did. I thank you for it, it kept me alive.”

“A sword is only good as the man... Or wench, who wields it, or so I heard. Thank your hand, not the sword.”

“Either way, it was you who gave it to me. My thanks.”

“Make good use of it, and we shall be even, I think.”

Once more, they rode in silence. After a while, he suggested they stop to rest, Brienne protested, albeit weakly. He wondered if she had lost all her stubbornness thanks to his quest and he found that the possibility bothered him a whole more than he cared to admit. 

In the end, she descended from her horse, guiding the animal to a near pond, and he followed, stopping by the water, he looked at his reflection but it wasn’t his face that drew his eye, instead the feet just above it. Brienne gasped, noticing the dead body as well, hanging from a tall tree to their right.

“Ah. Seems to be a common sight around these parts now,” he said, not bothered. “I plan to put an end to it. Soon, I hope. At this rate they will occupy every tree from here to the bloody Wall.” 

But Brienne ignored him, focused on the dead man, as if she was trying to discern the rotten flesh of his face. It was almost like... Could that be even possible?

“Do you know him?”, he asked.

“No,” she said, tense. Her hand was on Oathkeeper.

“Shall we cut the man down, give him a proper burial?” 

To his surprise, she shook her head. 

“No, we must keep going,” but she made no movement to leave, and kept staring at the tree.

And then, he saw it. As Brienne looked above her, to the man, her neck was exposed. The dark marks around it were still recent, the skin damaged. 

“My lady, your neck...”

His first reaction was to reach for her injury, but he quickly stopped himself. Her eyes widened and she tried to hide the marks with one hand, but it was too late. 

“What happened?” he asked, feeling a mixture of anger and worry. 

“It’s over now. It doesn't matter.”

He could see plainly she was hiding something. She always were too honest for her own good. Jaime’s suspicions seamed less unlikely now. Her silence, the all too convenient tale of Sansa Stark and a toothless Hound. 

“Let’s go,” she said, her tone was almost pleading.

“Go to the Hound? Or to the next available tree?” 

“Please, do not do this.”

“You are the first person to escape their noose, Brienne. You mustn't be humble now, do share the tale.”

He noticed that his bitter tone made her flinch and he almost regretted it. 

“A tale of defeat is not a easy one to share.”

“Defeat? You’re alive.”

“You, more than most, know that one can loose more than his life.”

“Aye, I do. It’s that it, then? You bargained with them for your life?”

“No. For the life of my companions, one of them a boy, Jaime, a good boy, who did not deserve to die.”

“They never do,” he said, bitter. “What did they asked in return?” 

She stared at him, her eyes full of regret, and it was all the answer he needed. Of course, he had already realized it. He almost laughed at the irony of the situation.

“My life for the boy’s. Fitting, I suppose and a bargain at that.”

She had no answer for him. 

Jaime felt sad and foolish more than angry. When he sent Brienne away, a part of him, a deep buried one, hoped she could succeed, not only in bringing the Stark girl back, but in restoring his honor, even if it was in her eyes only. He had put his faith on her, against all reason, and expected her to accomplish the impossible. A simplistic and unfair dream. In truth, he had sent her away, alone, with nothing but rumours to guide her. All that she had endured was on his shoulders. 

He drew his sword, clumsily.

“Fight me, then, wench. Let’s not delay this any longer.”

 


	2. Part 2

She did not draw Oathkeeper.

“How do you plan to kill me, if you don’t draw steel, my lady?" Jaime sneered at her and she didn’t know what to answer.

Hyle’s body hanging from the tree was a reminder of her delay and a warning if she was to fail.

And yet, it spoke of deceit as well. Their agreement included Ser Hyle alive. It appeared that Stoneheart wasn’t a woman of her word... No, she no longer was a woman at all... How could Brienne be sure that Pod was still alive? For all she knew he could be dead already.

“I... “

But he could be still alive.

And they were watching, the Brotherhood, somewhere, just waiting. She let her eyes fall to the ground just for a moment, before putting a hand on her sword. It felt heavier than usual, her armor as well.

“Very well.”

She suspected that Jaime wouldn’t hold much long against her, not with his left hand, but she was not anxious to confirm her theory. They circled each other, cautious. She let him come at her, feeling it was only fair to let him have the first blow. It was clumsy and easy to avoid. Her reluctance in fighting him did not escape Jaime.

“Come now, Brienne. Give me at least the courtesy of a real fight. If it’s going to be my last, at least let it be a real one.”

She kept her silence, trying to find a way to fight, but not hurt him. Which made no sense, since her goal was supposedly to kill him.

All the way from the Brotherhood to the Lannister’s camp, Brienne had only one thought: find him. She had been so focused on getting to him, that her mind simply choose to forget real reason for seeing Jaime once more. Maybe a foolish part of her thought that if she only could reach him, he could rescue her somehow, not from a bear this time, but from the shear _horribleness_ of what she had to do.

But that was just an illusion.

Their swords clashed awkwardly and Brienne missed his legs on purpose, letting Oathkeeper touch the ground. He stepped backwards, clutching his own with clumsy grip.

This was not the Jaime Lannister that Catelyn Stark knew, nor was he the man that Lady Stoneheart hated so. Was it not punishment enough to have him loose his hand? She had seem his suffering at close, the humiliation, the way he almost gave up.

Most of all, she saw the way he was trying to atone.

The next blow almost had a chance of hitting her, but she simply sidestepped and Jaime lost his balance, not able to move his feet in the right way to compensate for his left, instead of right. He fell in front her, on his knees. Not even bothering to try to stand up.

“My lady, it seems at I am your mercy,” he laughed. “Will you kill me now, Brienne?”

She hesitated, again.

“No? Think of the boy, that sweet boy, you so much wishes to save. And do it.” he said this time serious.

It was a mistake, it was unfair and selfish, but Brienne raised her sword and hit him with the pommel of Oathkeeper.

*****

When Jaime woke up, all he saw was the ground moving bellow him. He came to understand the rest thanks to the smell: horse shit. His head hurt badly and if he left his eyes open for too long the horse’s movements made him queasy.

He was alive. He was tied up on a horse and a wench was guiding the animal towards an uncertain fate. But he was alive.

Was she taking him to be hanged? Was she really that cruel? A clean death by her sword would be much more preferable. He did not wish to give the Brotherhood the satisfaction of stringing him up to a tree.

“Brienne, for all I have done to you and you to me, can’t you at least give me a clean death?” he said, not sure if she was even paying attention, he could only see her feet.

“Please be quiet,” was all she answered for a while.

The shadows on the ground changed and the sun went down when finally Brienne decided to stop and make camp. She lifted Jaime with some difficulty and then tied him to a near tree, and then, quietly went to sleep, telling him to keep watch.

“Of course, first person that appears I’m screaming... for _help_.” he answered, receiving a slight smile from her, of all things!

Everything was then explained to him, as she, pretending to sleep very near him, told him her plan in the lowest of voices. Her only request was that he didn’t speak so not to attract any attention.

“I hope to deceive them into thinking that I’m taking you to them. I was to bring your head to a inn near here, as I don’t know the location of their camp. I’ll take you there, together we can take it, and then try to ambush them instead, when they arrive.”

Before he would ask how, seeing they were only two, she continued.

“There’s a boy there, Gendry, he... I suspect he will help us. I hope he will. After that we capture one of them. You can leave if you wish. but I will demand they take me to Pod. Last time I was outnumbered and with Bitter’s wound...”

She stopped for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

“I will rescue him, or die trying. But you’re free to leave, I only need you to convince Gendry to let me in.”

He almost told her how crazy and foolish her plan sounded, but didn’t. Because he wanted her to live and, selfishly perhaps, he wanted her to leave with him and forget about the boy. But if he admitted that, if he tried to stop her, he would reveal himself to be the man without honor she hated not so long ago. In the end he wanted to be worthy of the choice she was making. So he said nothing.

Maybe he was losing his mind.

When she woke up a few hours later, he was sure he had, _indeed_ , lost his mind, for when she managed to put him on the back of the horse once more, he whispered to her ear: “I’m coming with you, a Lannister always pays his debts.”


End file.
